Briefing How ICD-10 Will Affect Billing.ppt

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The alpha characters are NOT case-sensitive – they don’t use upper and lower case versions of the same alpha character in the same character position to have different meanings. A 6th character has been added in some chapters for further specificity, and code extensions for obstetrics, injuries, and external causes of injury. These code extensions 7th character are an alpha character, and have different meanings depending on the section, but can provide information such as the characteristic of the encounter. In the Injury and external cause sections it classifies an initial encounter, subsequent encounter, or sequelae. You can see the use of the extension to show late effects, or aftercare of the injury. Certain codes, such as fractures have even more specificity in the extension. Conditions with a recently discovered etiology or new treatment protocol have been reassigned to a more appropriate chapter. And, because of the flexibility and ability for expansion, specificity and detail have been significantly expanded. * * Here is an example of the improved specificity in ICD-10-CM. There is one ICD-9-CM code for mechanical complication of other vascular device, implant and graft, but there are 156 ICD-10-CM codes, which are differentiated by type of complication, specific type of device, and the episode of care meaning initial encounter, subsequent encounter, or sequela . So far, with ICD-10-CM, we saw many similarities. You will notice that ICD-10-PCS is different. Read ICD-9-CM. ICD-10-PCS has a 7-character alphanumeric code structure, and any character can be alpha or numeric. The 10 digits 0-9 and the 24 letters A-H, J-N, and P-Z comprise each character. The letters I and O are not used in order to not be confused with the digits 1 and 0. Once again, the alpha characters are NOT case-sensitive. Of key significance is the fact that each code MUST have 7 characters. * * Eac